Sri Lanka v India

Another day, same story - right down to the toss - as torrential showers left a major one-day
trophy shared for the first time. With the ball stopping even more than the previous day, Sri Lanka
did well to reach 222. But Sehwag started the pursuit with another cameo before lightning streaked
across the night sky and the outfield was deluged. India's spinners had squeezed the life out of
the Sri Lankan innings in 36 overs costing less than four apiece. With the hosts possessing a far
more formidable slow-bowling armoury, the capacity crowd was deprived of another potentially
fascinating episode of cat-and-mouse. India had shaded the first innings after Jayasuriya inside-edged
the very first ball on to his stumps. De Silva, anxious to make his last home innings one
to remember, soothed frazzled nerves by caressing five boundaries in one Agarkar over. But he
top-edged a sweep off Kumble, and Sri Lanka slumped to 71 for four. Jayawardene and Arnold
dropped in the treacle, adding 118 in 28.5 overs of virtual Test cricket. Hard graft and scampered
singles set up a final onslaught of 70 from ten overs, with Jayawardene shifting smoothly through
the gears. It might have been a match-winning total, but the vagaries of the scheduling and the
weather made sure no one would know. It was a disappointing, if fair result, with the two teams
most adept on slow, turning pitches sharing the $300,000 prize.

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